Holding Out for
by LJlashlarue
Summary: "Where have all the good men gone And where are all the gods? Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?" Basically the whole Bonnie Tyler song. That was my prompt at this year's "Dudley Redeemed" on LJ. Read the warnings, it's not graphic but there are potential triggers.


**Title:**"Holding Out for..."

Author/Artist:Lash_Larue

Prompt: _Where have all the good men gone_  
_And where are all the gods?_  
_Where's the street-wise Hercules_  
_To fight the rising odds?/i - _Basically the whole Bonnie Tyler song.

Pairing, or gen:Dudley/Lavender

Rating:PG13

Warning(s): Some violence and language.

Possible triggers: ssault and attempted rape. Not terribly graphic, but...

Word count/medium:6439

Summary/Excerpt:"Wrong. _You'll let her go and get the hell out of here if you know what's good for you," said the voice._

_"And if we don't?"_

_"Then you are all in for a world of pain."_

Author's or Artist's notes: Written for this year's "Dudley Redeemed" on LJ.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated characters and settings remain the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates. We are very grateful for permission to play with them.

Holding Out for...

The blonde with the scarred face backed anxiously away from the 2 men advancing on her. She had known better than to enter this dark alley in this unfamiliar neighborhood, but she needed a secluded place to Apparate home. Now the rising fear prevented her from doing that without risking splinching herself, quite apart from not wanting to violate the Statute of Secrecy.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Just a bit of companionship, like," said one.

"Thank you, but no," the woman replied.

"Oh, come on. A bird with a face like yours ought to be flattered that a couple of real men like we are will even give you a tumble at all. Mind, your tits do make up for it a bit," said the other.

"Leave me alone, I'm warning you," she said as she produced a stick from inside her sleeve.

"Ooooh, she's warning us, did you hear that?"

"You want to be careful, luv," said a third voice from behind her as an arm wrapped around her throat and a calloused hand took the wand from her, tossing it aside, "you could put someone's eye out with that thing."

"Now then, lets have a look at those knockers of yours. I hope they aren't all fucked up like your face is," the man in front of her said as he reached for her.

The two men made short work of the woman's blouse and bra.

"Naught wrong with these beauties! Soft as cream, they are, and smooth as a baby's arse..."

The woman's vision began to fade from the pressure on her throat as her breasts were roughly squeezed and bitten.

"Leave her alone," came a commanding voice, and the pressure eased enough for her to draw a desperately-needed breath down her bruised windpipe. Spots of light danced before her eyes, and she trembled violently.

"Mind your own business, whoever the fuck you are. Tell you what, you can have what's left of her after my mates and I finish, right?"

"Wrong. You'll let her go and get the hell out of here if you know what's good for you," said the voice.

"And if we don't?"

"Then you are all in for a world of pain." A large man emerged from the shadows as he said this last.

"Oh, we are, are we?"

"Yes, you are."

"Take him, I've got the bird," commanded the man with his arm around the woman's throat, and the other two rushed at the newcomer.

There was a blur of motion, and two sort of crunching noises, followed by two heavier softer sounds as the two men fell to the ground.

"Like I said, leave her alone," he repeated, covering the distance to the frightened woman with deceptive speed.

"Fuck you, yo-"

The woman barely saw the movement before she felt something warm splash her face, and the arm around her throat fell, along with the man it was attached to.

"Are you all right?" her rescuer asked her, hastily taking off his jacket.

The woman looked at the crumpled forms of her attackers, and then at the man who had come to her aid. She swayed on her feet, and he caught her, wrapping his jacket around her.

"I think so," she said after clearing her throat. Her voice was hoarse.

"You shouldn't be out alone in a place like this. It's not safe. It should be, but it just isn't," the man told her. "If you're up to it, I'll see you get home safe."

"Thank you, but if I can just find my wand I'll be -"

She fell silent.

"You mean this?" he said, picking up her wand from the ground.

She did not know what to say. How could she explain?

"My cousin has a thing like this. I suppose you're a witch, then. I'm Dudley Dursley."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Lavender Brown."

"Right, let's get you into the gym, there should still be some police officers there after tonight's training session, and we'll need to file a report. You'll likely want to clean up as well, I'm afraid you've got a bit of blood on your face," Dudley said.

"It's not the first time," Lavender muttered. "Do we really have to involve the police?"

"I do, any road, and if you would support my story it might well save me an awful lot of trouble in case those gits recognized me."

"Fine then, I surely owe you that much. Oh! Thank you! I'm sorry; I should have said that straight away, I guess I'm still a little shaken."

"Better shaken than stirred," Dudley said with a smile, and he gently urged her forward.

"You know about magic, then?" she asked.

"Yes, my cousin grew up with me, and he's a wizard. Went to that school and everything. You look about his age. Maybe you've heard of him, he's sort of famous. Harry Potter?"

"Oh. Yes. Him I've heard of. Everyone in our world knows him, and he was in my house at Hogwarts. Since you already know about magic, I could modify their memories so they don't recall what happened. That is, I could if they weren't unconscious, I mean." Lavender told him.

"They'll likely be out for a while. Anyway, best to get them into prison where they belong. The next woman might not be so lucky, and trash like that never seem to change their ways. It will involve testifying, though. Can you do that? I mean, I know you've got all sorts of rules about Muggles."

"We should be able to work around that. In any case, you're right. The next woman might not have you arriving like a knight in armor on a white horse to save her."

Dudley blushed, but the dim light of the alley minimized the effect.

"Come on then, Ms. Brown. Or is it Mrs? Should I call your husband?"

"No husband to call, no. I'm unattached."

Her tone was a little bitter, but she leaned gratefully against him. He was comfortingly strong, and she found that she actually did need the support.

"Sorry," she said after stumbling.

"Just adrenaline shock, I expect," he said as he steadied her, "but we'll get you checked out."

Dudley opened a door and escorted Lavender into the gym.

"Back so soon, Big D? Who's your friend?" asked a woman who had been working out on a punching bag.

"This is Ms. Brown, Grace. She was just assaulted out back. The bad guys are still there, I imagine. I'm afraid I had to hit them to get my point across," Dudley informed her.

The smile faded from Grace's face.

"Ring for an ambulance, Hawkins," snapped Grace.

"There are three of them," Dudley explained.

"Make it two, Hawkins."

"Yes, sergeant." Hawkins hurried to the office, and two other men grabbed bags and headed for the alley.

"How did she know they needed an ambulance?" Lavender asked Dudley.

Dudley shrugged.

"If Dudley hit them, they need an ambulance. Please have a seat, Ms. Brown; I want to make sure you aren't injured. You have blood on your face. I'm Sergeant Grace Willis."

"It's not my blood," Lavender explained, but she sat, nonetheless.

Dudley left them to it, and Sergeant Willis gently moved Lavender's thick hair aside to be sure the blood was not hers. She showed no reaction to the scars on Lavender's face, as they were obviously old.

However...

"Your throat is bruising, Ms. Brown, and so are your breasts. Fortunately the bite marks haven't broken the skin," she observed. "I'll just take an evidence swab from that area so we can disinfect it to be on the safe side, though. Your assailants will be tested for any blood-borne diseases as well. It doesn't look like any blood got in your eyes, and that's good. I'm very sorry this happened, Miss Brown. Can you tell me what went on?"

"He -one of them -"

"Had an arm around her throat from behind, the other two were mauling her," Dudley finished as he arrived with a basin of water and some cloths. "Maybe she shouldn't talk much, Grace. I can give you enough to charge them with attempted rape and assault."

"That should hold them until Ms. Brown is better, yes. Ms. Brown, I'll try and ask yes or no questions, but I do need to get some information. May I see some identification?" Willis asked.

Lavender's eyes went round, and she turned her face to Dudley. Fortunately, Dudley knew that such things were different in the magical world.

"She didn't have a purse when I saw her. I might have seen someone running out of the far end of the alley when I arrived. I guess one of the gang didn't have the stomach for what those three were up to, but I expect a bit of purse-snatching was okay."

Dudley said all that with a perfectly straight face, then knelt down to wash the blood from Lavender's face and hair.

"I need a shower," she whispered.

"I understand, Ms. Brown, but we should wait until the real evidence techs get here. It won't be long, I promise. Dudley, I'm afraid she'll have to wear the gore a little longer. I've already checked that the blood isn't hers."

Lavender swayed on the stool. Now that the danger was past, she felt dizzy and a bit ill. Dudley propped her up.

"There's a proper couch in the office, come on, Ms. Brown," he said. Lavender stood, and Dudley caught her when she fell. He carried her into the office, laid her on the couch, and stuck a couple pillows under her feet.

"Shock," Willis said, "only to be expected. I'll fetch something to cover her." Willis hurried away.

"I'm sorry, you must think I'm terribly weak," Lavender whispered.

"Not at all, you've been through a lot. I know you could have sorted those gits on your own if you hadn't lost your wand. You can't hesitate in situations like that. But that's easy for me to say. I haven't got a clue what it's like to be a woman attacked by three men. Bastards."

Lavender smiled and rearranged her hair, covering the scars. Dudley made no comment.

"Here, luv," said Sergeant Willis as she covered her with a blanket. "Fetch her some water, would you, Dudley?"

"Sure."

"He won't get in trouble for hitting those men, will he?" Lavender asked after Dudley had left the room.

"He'll be fine, under the circumstances. It's rather more serious when a professional boxer punches someone, but this was clearly justified. Now just rest your voice. I can call an ambulance for you, too. It might be a good idea."

"Rather go - my own doctor." Lavender's hand went to her scarred cheek, and sympathy filled Willis's eyes.

"All right, then, just be sure and get checked out, promise?"

Lavender nodded.

Sirens arrived and then fell silent. After an hour or so, the police were gone. Dudley finished cleaning the worst of the gore from Lavender's face.

"Feeling better?" Dudley asked.

"Yes, thanks to you, Mr. Dursley."

"Call me Dudley, please. I've still got your wand. I figured the cops didn't need to see that." He handed it to her.

"Thank you again, Dudley, and do call me Lavender. Do you mind if I Apparate from here?"

"Are you sure you're in shape to do that? I'm no wizard, but I understand that's kind of dangerous. Can't I call someone for you?"

"None of my friends has a telephone, but you're right, it would be foolish of me to try it. Oh, Merlin..."

She burst into tears. Dudley hesitated for a moment, then strode to the desk. Harry had a telephone.

"Harry, Dudley here. I'm at the gym and I need your help. One of your sort, a woman named Lavender Brown, was attacked in the alley out back. I managed to break things up, and she's not seriously hurt, but she's still pretty shaken up. She needs to see one of your doctors, I think."

_"Okay, Dudley, I'll be right there."_

"Harry's coming," Dudley told Lavender.

"Are all the men in your family heroes?" she asked.

This time there was nothing to conceal the flushing of Dudley's face, but fortunately Harry arrived just then.

"Just give me the general picture, Dud, and I'll get Lavender to hospital."

It did not take long.

"Right then. I'll handle getting proper identification for Lavender to show them, and we have an arrangement with the Muggle authorities for things like this. It will be fine," Harry assured Dudley and Lavender. "Thanks, Dudley. You should come visit this weekend, it's been too long."

"Will Ginny be there?"

Ginny had not yet forgiven the Dursleys for their treatment of Harry, but as Harry had, she tried to make the best of it.

"Yes," Harry said with a smile, "but this might help things along. And Lavender, the last thing I want to do is add any stress for you, but I have to ask. What on earth were you doing in that alley?"

"Harry," protested Dudley, but Lavender waved her hand to silence him.

"I needed a secure place to Apparate home. I - I'd been to a Muggle place nearby, to get something to cover my scars. You know magic doesn't work on them."

"Oh," Harry said, embarrassed to have pried.

"I know it's different for a woman," Dudley said, "but I don't think you need to bother. You look fine to me."

Dudley blushed again, as did Lavender, and the scars stood out clearly against her flushed skin.

"Right then. Let's go, Lavender. Dud, I'll let you know how she's doing, if that's okay with her," Harry told him.

"Ms. Brown will be well, Mr. Potter, physically, at least," the healer assured him. "I've given her the requisite healing potions and something to help her sleep. We'll keep her overnight just to be safe. In any case, she shouldn't be left alone for some days. There is usually some emotional trauma after something like this. Does she have someone to look after her for a bit?"

"She's got me and Ginny, Healer Tompkins. She's an old friend. May I see her?" Harry asked.

"Certainly, Mr. Potter. She'll be quite drowsy, I'm afraid, and try not to upset her, right?"

"Of course," Harry said, and he entered Lavender's room.

"Feeling any better, Lavender?" he asked.

"My throat's not so sore now, and the potions have me pretty sleepy. I was so scared, Harry. If your cousin Dudley hadn't come along... "

"But he did. You're welcome to stay with us for a while, Lavender, when they release you. It's probably not a good idea for you to be alone right away," Harry offered.

"Thanks, Harry. If you're sure Ginny won't mind. My parents would go spare if they found out about this, but I admit that I'd be scared to be alone."

Harry nodded, and shifted awkwardly. As an auror, he dealt with crime on a constant basis; but Lavender was a friend, a classmate, and she had already endured a terrible ordeal.

"So, that was the cousin who was so horrible to you?" she asked.

"That's him. He grew out of it. Dudley's a really decent sort, now he's away from his parent's influence."

"He's terrifically strong. Those men just crumpled when he hit them," Lavender said.

Harry nodded.

"Dudley's a great fighter, even trains the police," he told her.

"Maybe I should take some lessons, then," Lavender said.

"Might be a good idea if you're going to be in Muggle areas much. I'm glad he was there, Lavender. You've been through enough for one lifetime. Can I get you anything before I go home?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine just now, but I could use some clean clothes. I can give you the password to my flat, if that's not too much to ask."

"Not at all, and as I'm an Auror I only need your permission, not your password," he said with a grin.

"Just grab my house robes; they'll serve until I can get home. Save you digging through a bunch of girl stuff."

"I can do better than that, I've been married a while. I'll get your bathroom things as well. I often have to pack Ginny's kit for trips while she's dealing with the kids. Unless the idea of me going through your things bothers you?"

"Not at all. I well know that no man is anxious to see anything of mine. I suppose that's why I didn't think twice about going into that alley. They must have been really drunk," she said bitterly.

"I know the scars bother you, Lavender, but really, they aren't all that bad. May I tell Dudley you're okay? I know he's worried about you," he asked.

Lavender shrugged.

"If you think he'd care, sure. Night, Harry, and thank you."

Lavender's eyes closed. Harry looked at her for a moment in silence. They had never been very close friends, but Lavender had fought, had been a member of the DA, and she had paid a high price for her courage. Frankly, Harry cringed every time he saw her face, but he tried never to show that.

He went to Dudley's place and rang the bell.

"How is she?" Dudley asked as he opened the door.

"Sleeping. She'll be fine, thanks to you. She'll be staying with us for a few days after she's released, the healers don't think she should be alone, and she doesn't want to go to her parent's place."

"I can surely understand that," Dudley said earnestly. "So, is it still okay for me to come over Saturday?"

"I think that would be great, Dud. I know Lavender would like to see you. I would warn you that she's pretty sensitive about her scars, but you saw that already."

"She has a nice face, the scars aren't that bad. How did she get them? Can you tell me?" Dudley asked.

"She got attacked by a werewolf," Harry told him, and he explained the circumstances under which that had occurred.

"Christ! So is she a werewolf, as well as a witch?" Dudley asked.

"No. The werewolf was in human form when he bit her, so she wasn't infected like that. That iis/i why the scars can't be removed, though. It's a shame, Lavender was really very pretty," Harry said.

"She still is. The scars don't change that any. You don't think so, do you? Or are you a waste of skin after all?" Dudley asked.

"I try not to be. You're right of course, but I'm afraid Lavender doesn't see it that way."

"I know she's not married, but is she seeing anyone regularly?" Dudley asked.

"Lavender doesn't date. She hasn't since the werewolf attack, in point of fact," Harry told him.

"I suppose I'll just have to be patient, then. But there's a lot of strength in her, something about her just..." he shrugged. "The scars don't matter, though I know she feels differently about that."

"You know, you aren't a waste of skin either. You haven't turned out half bad, Diddykins."

"Git. I'll see you Saturday. Uh, I'll bring a gift for Ginny, I still have some work to do there," Dudley admitted.

"Couldn't hurt," Harry replied.

"I can't believe I'm still tired," Lavender complained when Harry had to steady her as she walked to the couch at Harry and Ginny's, "I slept like 12 hours."

"Part of it's the potions," Harry told her, having extensive experience with healing and sleeping potions.

"But you've still been through a lot," Ginny added. "Are you hungry? Can I get you something?"

"I don't want to be a bother, I mean, you've already done so much by letting me stay here. I'm sorry, I don't want to put you out, but..."

Tears flooded from her eyes, and Ginny sat by her and held her.

"It's okay, Lavender. You're safe now. Harry, get her some pumpkin juice and ginger biscuits, hospital food sucks." Harry hurried to the kitchen. "Do you want to talk about it, Lavender?"

"I was so scared..."

"Of course you were, anyone would have been, but you're okay now. You're safe. This is a little different from what happened to me in the Chamber of Secrets, but the terror of that faded in time. This will too. I know that thinking of what they were going to do to you must be horrible, but it will get better."

"That's not the worst of it," Lavender whispered.

"You don't have to tell me if you aren't ready."

"The worst of it - the worst - one of them said that I was lucky that any man would even think of giving me a tumble, with a face like mine." Her voice quivered.

"Consider the source, Lavender. Who cares what scum like that thinks?"

"It's not so much that he said it," Lavender pulled her hair away from the scarred side of her face and looked straight at Ginny. "It's that part of me thinks he was right."

Ginny had no reply to that.

"Here you are, Lavender," Harry announced, "fresh pumpkin juice and Molly's ginger biscuits! This will have you right as rain in no time."

"Thanks, Harry."

Lavender drained the juice, and tried a biscuit.

"These are great, really, but I'm just too tired to eat. Would it be okay if I took a nap here on the couch?" Lavender asked, stifling a yawn.

"Let's just get you to the guest room," Ginny countered, "you'll be more comfortable, and if you're still asleep when the kids get home they won't wake you."

"Thanks, Ginny. I'm so sorry about this, I -"

"You're our friend, Lavender," Harry broke in. "It's no bother, really. Ginny will enjoy having another woman around."

"I sure will. I hope the next one is a girl, there is just too much testosterone in this house."

Lavender managed a weak grin, and Ginny helped her to the guest room.

"Here, lie down, I'll get your shoes for you," Ginny said, and Lavender did as bid. She was asleep before her shoes hit the floor, and Ginny threw a light cover over her, not wanting to disturb her by shifting her on the bed. She left quietly and eased the door shut.

"She's in bad shape, emotionally, Harry. She's going to need help to get through this. You know how she is about her scars, and something one of those arseholes said has made it worse. Should we send the kids to the Burrow for a while?"

"Might be best. I'll see to it. Oh, Dudley's coming over this evening, I think I forgot to mention it," Harry said.

"Yeah, you did. I'm not sure that's a good idea with the state Lavender is in."

"He's concerned. Besides, I think Dudley being here will make her feel safer, and she'll want to thank him again."

"You just make sure Dudley doesn't expect too much by way of thanks, right?" Ginny told him in her "Molly" voice.

"Dud would never. Okay, he treated me badly when we were kids, but with his parents that was to be expected. I got past it, and you should too, Ginny. James and Albus like him, and he's great with them."

"He wants to teach them to box."

Harry shrugged.

"It's no more dangerous than Quidditch, and at least they'd learn it properly from Dudley. I'll see the kids to the Burrow; do I need to get anything for dinner while I'm out?"

"We'll make do. I seem to recall that Lavender likes chicken, and we've got plenty of that," she said.

"Fine. I won't be long."

"The kids are snug at your folks, Gin. Have you heard from Dudley?"

"Not a peep. Maybe he's changed his -"

The doorbell rang.

Harry opened it.

"Hi, Dudley, glad you could make it," he greeted his cousin.

"How's Lavender?"

"Sleeping just now. I'm afraid she's still pretty shaken up," Harry told him.

"I should have hit them a few more times. Bastards, treating someone like that, and after all she's been through. Shit."

"Good evening, Dudley," Ginny said formally.

"Thanks for having me over, Ginny. How are you?"

Ginny forbore from saying that ishe/i hadn't invited him, but it took an effort.

"I'm fine, thank you very much," she replied.

Harry sighed to himself. Really, Ginny needed to get over being mad at Dudley and let bygones be bygones.

"I brought you a gift," Dudley said uneasily, sensing her hostility.

"Thank you, you didn't need to, though."

"I know you're still mad at me for how I treated Harry when we were kids, I get that. I was dumb, and I was wrong. In any case, here," Dudley said, handing her a small package.

Having stretched rudeness as far as her upbringing would allow, Ginny accepted the gift and opened it.

"Ohhh..." she gasped.

"I saw it in a shop, and it reminded me of you," Dudley told her.

It was an ivory cameo. It had a golden hue from age, and the image bore an undeniable resemblance to Ginny.

"Dudley, it's beautiful!" Ginny said, dazed.

"Like I said, it reminded me of you," Dudley replied gallantly.

Inwardly, Harry groaned. This could go either way with Ginny, and even she seemed undecided as to the appropriate response.

"I'm sorry for how Harry was treated when he lived with me, Ginny. Do you think you could just give me a chance to be a good cousin? I won't need more than one," Dudley asked.

Ginny flushed red; she knew very well that she had not given Dudley even half a chance in the past.

She was struggling to come up with an appropriate answer when the silence was shattered by blood-curdling screams from the guest room.

Harry was the first one into the room, but not by much.

Lavender was huddled in a corner of the room, shivering in fear and drawing in breath for another scream.

"Lavender! It's all right. You're safe here," Harry shouted, trying to break through to Lavender.

Lavender cringed away from him, her eyes desperately searching...

Her gaze fastened on Dudley, and she threw herself at him.

Dudley caught her neatly, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's okay, Lavender," he said, "I'm right here. Nothing can hurt you now. Promise."

Lavender's shaking subsided slowly, and Dudley held her carefully, not wanting to upset her further.

"Dudley?" Lavender whispered.

"I'm right here, Lavender," he repeated, "no one can hurt you now. Harry's here too, and Ginny."

"For a moment, I was back in the alley, and they were…" she lapsed into silence.

Dudley simply held her, letting her feel his strength support her. Harry was glad Lavender could not see his face, for the anger plainly written there even scared Harry a little.

"I'm okay now. I'm sorry about the screaming," she said.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Dudley assured her.

"Do you feel up to helping me with dinner?" Ginny asked.

"Sure, that will be fun. Oh, what a beautiful cameo!"

"It was a gift from my cousin Dudley," Ginny told her, and she gave Dudley the first real smile she ever had.

The two women left the room, and Dudley clenched his fists until the knuckles turned white. Harry gave him a clout on the shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Dud. She's tougher than she looks."

"She shouldn't have to be tough. Harry, I really want to pound on those bastards. They got off too easily."

"They aren't going to get off at all, they've all got prior convictions. They're going to do long stretches in prison," Harry assured him. "My office has been in contact with the Muggle authorities. I might even back-door them into Azkaban, just for the hell of it. See what they make of Dementors."

Dudley shuddered, he remembered Dementors.

"Well, I suppose they're safe from me there. I should have given Ginny a gift a long time ago, at least that seems to have smoothed things over between us," Dudley said.

"She loves it, but that's not what won her over, Dudley. It's how you treated Lavender that did that."

"What can I do to help, Ginny?" Lavender asked.

"The vegetables want washing, I picked them yesterday at mum and dad's. Do you think roast chicken with potatoes, carrots, and onions will be okay? I try and stick to simple meals. Harry gets a little nervous if I get too fancy with it."

"It sounds great to me," Lavender said, and she took up her wand and started to work on the vegetables. "Does Dudley eat with you often? I have to say I was surprised to find out he is Harry's cousin. There were all those rumors about how his relatives treated him."

"They weren't rumors, they were true stories. And I've never cooked for Dudley before. The few times he's eaten here Harry got takeout, and I was usually at the Burrow. I've never forgiven him for how he treated Harry when they were kids, but I suppose that it was mostly his parents. Harry has told me about a couple things that Dudley did that were actually pretty nice..." Ginny's voice trailed off as she realized that she really had been unfair about the whole thing.

"And he gave you that beautiful cameo," Lavender said, in an effort to brighten the mood.

"Yes, he did. Frankly, I would have just thought of that as some sort of bribe if I hadn't seen him with you a while ago. You know, Lavender, I think he really cares about you."

"He just has this hero thing going on, like you feel obligated when you rescue a kitten or something," Lavender said dismissively. "Once he sees I'm okay he'll lose interest."

"I dunno," Ginny mused, "I get the feeling there's a lot more to Dudley than I ever imagined."

"This chicken is better than my mum's, Ginny," Dudley said after his second helping. "I never thought I'd say that. Mum has her faults, but she can cook."

"She really can," Harry said.

"So, Dudley, when do the boy's boxing lessons start?" Ginny asked.

"Really? You'll let me teach them?" Dudley was gobsmacked.

"Like Harry said, it's no more dangerous than Quidditch, and they'll learn it properly from you. Who knows when it might come in handy? Just because Voldemort is dead, it doesn't mean there isn't danger in the world."

Lavender turned white.

"Oh! Sorry, Lavender, that was thoughtless. Me and my Weasley mouth..."

Dudley, who was sitting beside Lavender, gently put his hand on her shoulder. Lavender turned to look at him and her hair shifted, uncovering the scars.

Her hand automatically went to rearrange it, and Dudley felt his throat tighten.

"You know, Sergeant Willis and I teach a self-defense course for women at the gym. You should give it a try. Not only is it valuable knowledge, it helps with self-confidence. Many of the students have been through things similar to what happened to you."

"Werewolf bites?" Lavender asked.

"Well, not as I know of, no. I meant the other thing."

"I know that, Dudley, I was trying to be funny."

"And that's a good sign," Ginny said firmly. "Tell you what, Lavender, we'll go together. It wouldn't hurt me any either. It might even be fun."

"Did somebody cast a spell on me? Am I imagining all this? Ginny is letting me teach the boys, and she's even taking a class herself?" Dudley asked Harry.

"I was wondering the same thing. But let's just go with it. We don't have to understand them all of the time, Dud, we just have to love them and be grateful they put up with us."

"Wise man. Harry, pop over to Fortesque's and fetch some ice cream, would you? I forgot desert."

"What kind?"

"Surprise us," Dudley suggested.

"What's one more surprise tonight?" Harry agreed, and he headed to the floo.

"Apparate back, would you Harry?" Ginny called after him. "I'm pretty sure ash ice cream wouldn't be any good."

Ginny rose to clear the table, and Dudley got up to help.

"Thanks, Dudley."

Of course she could have done it with magic, but it was nice of him to help, and Ginny figured it was time she started letting him feel like a part of the family.

"So, am I imagining things, or are you a little bit sweet on Lavender?" Ginny asked as casually as she could manage.

"I'm not really sure. I mean, she's pretty, and she has a real inner strength that I admire. Maybe I am, I guess. But surely she wouldn't be interested in a Muggle, would she?"

"I'm not sure, Dudley. Lavender has pretty much kept to herself since the attack. She used to be a real social butterfly. Turned my brother Ron inside-out, I can tell you. But I know she admires you and is grateful to you," Ginny told him.

"She doesn't owe me anything. I only did what any decent human being would do. I just happened to be there at the right time."

"That's the thing, Dudley. There aren't all that many decent human beings around. Certainly not ones willing to put themselves at risk for a stranger."

Dudley snorted.

"There was no risk. Not with those punks. And that's what I'm afraid of, that if I ask her out she'll feel obligated to accept."

Ginny nodded.

"And this is weird too, Ginny. I mean you talking to me like a friend, and seeming interested in my feelings," he told her.

"That's my fault. Harry told me you had changed, but I just held on to what I thought I knew about you. But when I saw you with Lavender, how carefully you held her, comforted her, made her feel safe..."

Ginny swallowed.

"Well, let's just say that in that moment I was proud that you are my cousin, Dudley. I hope you'll come around more often in future, you'd be a good influence on the boys."

"Thanks, Ginny. I'm glad that Harry has you. The poor sod deserves some happiness."

"I'm back!" Harry announced.

The ice cream was enjoyed.

"I want to introduce two new members of the class, this evening. Lavender Brown, and Ginny Potter. I'll just do a quick orientation for them, the rest of you pretend to pay attention, right?" Dudley said to the group of women.

"This class is not boxing, Lavender and Ginny, it's self-defense. Boxing has a lot of rules. Self-defense only has one. Survive. So some of the things Grace and I will be teaching you are quite brutal, but they have proven to be effective. Inflicting a painful, even debilitating injury on your assailant right at the start often allows you to escape, and survive. Grace?"

"We'll cover the classic knee to the cods, but that's not always very effective. Some muggers even wear padding there, but nobody can ignore a ruptured eyeball. Right then ladies, time to warm up..."

Ginny, perhaps because of her athletic background, picked things up rapidly.

Lavender, however, was simply a beast.

"Crikey, Lavender," gasped Grace, "you might want to think about going pro. Dud! Give us a hand over here, will you?"

"I'm sorry-" Lavender began.

"Never apologize for doing the thing properly," Grace cut her off. "But Dudley can soak up punishment better than I can. Well done, by the way."

"What's up?" Dudley asked.

"Our girl here needs a stronger partner for this exercise, I'm afraid my training is telling me I'd need a weapon of some kind to handle her," Grace explained.

"Really? That's great, Lavender. I'll just grab some eye protection and headgear and I'll be right with you." Dudley hurried away.

"Don't hold back, Lavender. You're doing great. You really ought to tie back your hair, though," Grace told her.

"I can't..."

"Listen," Grace said gently, "I know you're sensitive about the scars, but in case you haven't noticed, several of the women here have a few scars, and there are more that don't show with clothes on. Besides, there is simply no way to keep your hair over the scars during drills, so you might as well get it out of the way, right? Here, I'll tie it up for you..."

Lavender looked around anxiously, but nobody so much as looked in her direction, much less gasped in horror. Since Grace had mentioned it, she noticed scars of various types on several other women, if none so livid and extensive as hers.

But it was Dudley's reaction that comforted her most.

That is to say that there was no reaction at all, not even a widening of the eyes.

"Okay, I'm the bad guy, so I'll start things off. Let's do a couple run-throughs slowly, just to get the feel of it. Later I'll throw some surprises at you to see how you react. I promise not to hurt you, and if you manage to hurt me I'll be proud of you, right?" Dudley said with a smile.

Lavender looked him full in the face, for once uncaring of her scars as she told him...

"I know that you would never hurt me, Dudley. You're my knight in armor."

iEpilog/i

"How are you holding up, Dud," Harry asked him.

"I'm scared to death. My hands are shaking so much I can't even manage this bloody tie."

"Here, let me." Harry flicked his wand, and Dudley's tie settled neatly into place.

"Thanks."

"That's what the best man's for. You'll be fine, it won't take long. Besides, once you see her you won't notice anything else in the world."

"You don't want the veil?" Ginny asked. "It's traditional, after all, and it goes with your dress."

"No veil. I'm done with hiding. I don't need to any more," Lavender said serenely.

Unlike Dudley, Lavender had never felt calmer and happier in her entire life.

"No, you don't need to hide. You look beautiful, Lavender. I was a little concerned when you two started dating. I mean, you hadn't gone out in years. Frankly, I thought maybe you felt like you owed Dudley something, and, well..." Ginny trailed off.

"I appreciate your concern, Ginny. You and Harry are wonderful friends, and I'm very happy we're going to be family now. As for the not dating for years, thing - you already had your hero. I suppose that I was just holding out for a hero of my own."


End file.
